SNL: Again! An Interesting Start To 2013

Happy New year!

I realize it's been a while since I last posted. I have to say my picture a day exercise from last year was quite a challenge. I had anticipated posting every day. But thanks to the suggestion of a friend I started doing weekly recaps. And eventually much longer posts with pictures from a few weeks.

While taking the pictures is easy, posting about them took a little more vigilance than I had anticipated. I think I'll get a nice slideshow up here somewhere. It's amazing to look back at a year in pictures.  But all that made me really need a little break. Hence my absence for almost 2 months. But now I'm back!

Headshot under a bridge. Like a Troll

A lot has happened in the past 2 months. Some good. Some not so good. Some sad. Let's focus on the good...and perhaps the not so good.  I've gone back and forth about whether or not I should write about this. We try to sell ourselves as artists. To make us look better than we are.  Which I HATE. There are far too many people who puff themselves up with talk but it's backed up by nothing.  So here is the down and dirty of this world.


My manager dropped me.

There I said it. We've parted ways. We've parted amicably. The thing is, I can't blame her. I don't think I'm a type she gets much work for. And I'm mostly a stage actor slowly working at getting into film. She focuses mainly on film. While she's been a great asset and has truly operated as a manager, it just didn't work out. It happens. All the time. Am I sad? Sure. Who wouldn't be. But you know what? Onward and upward.  Her company merged with another and she could only take so many of her former clients.  That's how things go sometimes.  So I spent a few days scouring the web to try to take her off all my profiles because, well, that's what you do. Reformatted my resume a little. Made some adjustments to my website. Little things.

Now begins the push for 2013. A few little setbacks did occur which I'll go into in another post. For now let's keep this one a little more light-hearted.

So. Manager gone. That's ok.
I think as she was literally hitting send on the goodbye email I was filming a digital short with SNL.
So there's that.

Now I've railed against background work. It's horrible. I hate it. You're treated like cattle because let's face it. In a film you're just glorified scenery. I hate all those pseudo-actors who do background work and then add it to their IMDB profile as "uncredited." You're not credited because you were background. It's a personal pet peeve. But what can you do.

That being said, there are a few shows I WILL do BG work on because I love them. And the working conditions are fantastic. They treat you like gold. Saturday Night Live is one of those shows. The other being 30 Rock (R.I.P.).

So yes, I did BG on SNL. But, and I know everyone says this, (those people trying to talk themselves up) I actually had a few bits. Which in the end got cut. I had several moments with Bobby Moynihan. One with beakers in a chemistry class, another in the lunch room. But it all comes down to editing and while I'm there, I'm not THERE.  You know?

The skit?  Possibly one of the funniest and smartest I've seen in a while. The "Soprano's Diaries."  Have you seen the Carrie Diaries?  It's just itching to be made fun of. No. It's screaming to be made fun of. It's up there with Smash (which I think makes fun of itself not to need a parody. Oh Smash...)

So sure I lost a manager, but I was on SNL again. And the best thing was the commute to the location was just around the block.  Here is the skit...until NBC pulls it from youtube.  Enjoy!

Headshots and Pictures and Make me look good please!

It's time for new headshots.  They look like me and I still get a lot of compliments on them from industry, but I need some that are more 3/4.  For those of you outside the loop, 3/4 means something close to a waist and up shot.  Just showing more of you as a person and not just your smiling mug.

So whenever that time comes around for new headshots* I always go back to the people I've worked with before. Because I liked working with them and the shots look good. Hell, they look like me. And that's what you want.  So I reached out to past photographers and set up a few appointments.  The reason for this blog though is a bit of a rant and a warning to people looking for shots.

Make sure your photographer will give you ALL the shots taken during the shoot.  ALL of them.  One of my former photographers now works with a company called Colorworks.  Well, not really "works" with them, but more like collaborates with them. He takes the shots, sends them to Colorworks who will then retouch the ones you like for a modest $50!!!!! fee and then bam yours.  And the other ones you took? The un-retouched ones?  You can have those too for yet another fee.  Clearly he's getting a kickback from this place for sending his clients there. But this is just bad business karma. No no no. I pay you to take my picture. You take my picture and give me a disc, a link, anything with ALL my shots on it. So I can have them for forever.  Why?

It's important to look at good and bad shots always.  You learn what to do and what not to do. And some of those bad ones could very well fit a potential character you might play. Or who knows, you paid for them, they are yours.  So everyone out there.  Make sure they will give you all your shots.

Thankfully I know several talented photographers and am working with them.  One of whom was my very first photographer and the one I continue to go back to.  We took them on the hottest day of the year...at the time...7/21 around Central Park, but I'm hoping they're not completely saturated with sweat and we got some good shots.  I'm also setting up another session with a photographer who did some more character type shots.  For now we just cross our fingers and hope for the best.  Out of all the ones I took I'm sure there are a lot of usable ones.  I'm hopeful.  And both amazing people that I'll happily work with on a regular basis.

I just cannot stress this enough. Do not settle for anything less than what you want.  Too many people try to take advantage of actors. It's sad, but it's always been that way.  I for one am tired of people thinking actors will do anything/pay anything for things we need.  Which is why I started designing websites cheaply for actors. And why I will not give someone my money for doing 1/2 a job...ie..not giving me my disc full of images from our shoot.


What a great welcome back to my blog after a slight hiatus because of just too much stuff going on!

*when will spell check finally accept "headshot" as a word?

Reshoots..rescores! (or re-touches)

So I spent part of today, scratch that. The majority of today was spent doing reshoots for 'A Slice of Life.' The indy short I filmed this past October. It was actually nice to see everyone again and to step back into this character's shoes. He's a good sweet guy who is just in love. That's all. in love. And he's doing everything out of love. It's a very cute little short.

I did get to see a version of the film today for the first time. We are our own worst (best) judges. I feel like I'm doing a horrible DeNiro impression half the time. But some of the comic moments hit really well and I must say, I laughed a lot. It's a big deal if an actor can laugh at himself...when he's supposed to.

So hopefully soon I'll get a copy. If not of the finished version with all the new fancy cuts, but at least of whats been edited together so far.

And moving on, recently, much to the urging of my manager, friends, recent cast members, I got headshots taken with a beard:

From patrick faves

Mr. Kent Meister was kind enough to shoot around the Park Slope area and I am very pleased with the results. I'm still going through them and trying to figure out which one is my favorite. if you want to look through them all fill free to click on the link under the pic.

There are about 24 that i've narrowed it down to. The beard sure does something different to my face. I hate having it, but I like how I look with it. It may get me more varied work. Maybe I can play some evil villain. Or a lumberjack. Or Ryan's cousin on the Office.

Speaking of...anyone write for the Office? Put a word in. K. Thanks.

So the past few weeks have kept me busy with preparing for both shoots, getting ready for the bare Shakespeare benefit, and at the end of April some filming up in Vermont? New Hampshire? one of them. I think it's Vermont.

I'm liking all these film opportunities lately. Maybe I'll have a film career yet.

Oh yeah...pics please...let me know!